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EFQM is a global non-for-profit membership foundation based in Brussels, Belgium. With more than

500 members covering more than 55 countries and 50 industries, we provide a unique platform for

organisations to learn from each other and improve performance. EFQM is the custodian of the

EFQM Excellence Model, a business model which is helping over 30 000 organisations around the

globe to strive for Sustainable Excellence.

EFQM Members share a common goal: the pursuit of excellence. The EFQM Excellence Model

provides a common framework and language that facilitates the effective sharing of information

between organisations; transcending sectorial, cultural and maturity barriers.

As part of this network you are able to engage with like-minded individuals and share experience on

the development of innovative solutions that can help your organisation address some of its most

important challenges.

In line with our promise, to “Share What Works”, EFQM is uniquely place to identify good practices

that have been adopted by our members. The EFQM Recognition Schemes, which involve

independent assessors visiting applicants, help us to identify, verify and share these practices within

the EFQM Members. In 2010, we launched the Good Practice Competition to enable any

organisation, regardless of whether they are a member of EFQM or one of our Partner

Organisations, to share an approach that works for them.

The applicants are asked to upload a short video explaining their approach. A jury of experts in the

field then agree a short-list of finalists. The final judging process is a combination of a public vote,

via the web portal, a vote by attendees at the EFQM Learning Edge, after the finalists have

presented their practice in more detail and the Jury.

The theme of the competition changes each year in line with the focus of the EFQM Forum; an

annual event for business leaders and the excellence community to share ideas, experiences and

knowledge.

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Sustainability is a hot topic. There’s no debate on that point. However, it’s one of the few things

when it comes to sustainability that is not up for debate, from what we mean by sustainability to

what we need to do to be sustainable.

The objective of the EFQM Sustainability Good Practice Competition was to identify a number of

practical examples of approaches that could be shared and would encourage and inspire others. We

received a total of 24 applications from 12 countries; from Europe, the Middle East and India. The

standard of the applications was very high but our jury of experts in the field of CSR narrowed them

down to 5 finalists.

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)’s “Plan-It Green” approach was recognised as

“Highly Commended” by the Jury of the EFQM Sustainability Good Practice Competition. The jury

were impressed with the integration of the approach to managing sustainability as part of EICC’s

core business; hosting exceptional events. They were specifically impressed with the level of people

involvement and the way that all the different teams were involved in ensuring sustainability issues

were considered in all areas.

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The world-class Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has been delivering outstanding

events to the global events marketplace for sixteen years. The EICC’s exceptional facilities, together

with the expert team of professionals, are at the

heart of its success. The dynamic client services

team has been entrusted with some of the

world’s most prestigious gatherings such as the

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,

the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the

Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

The EICC provides clients with more than just a

facility for holding their event. The professional

client services team are totally focused on

delivering excellent customer service

throughout the planning process and delivery of the event. As one team, encompassing the client,

the EICC expertly guides and steers the client to achieve their objectives, goals and expectations –

then exceeds them. The EICC’s client service offering includes Event Design, Technical Production,

Catering, Security Management, Business & Media Centre and Concierge services.

Since opening in 1995, the EICC has hosted around 2,500 events, delivering almost £300 million of

economic benefit for Edinburgh. The Centre is now set on a major expansion programme; adding a

new 1,600 square metre multi-purpose hall by spring 2013.

The EICC has a deep and enduring commitment to sustainability that has been embedded in the

business since 1995, with an identifiable Sustainable Events Programme in place from 2002.

Plan-it green™ engages Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) stakeholders in a

collaborative approach to delivering sustainable events. It targets reduced emissions, reduced cost

and it offers a unique carbon sequestration option

for the local environment.

Fundamentally, it is a roadmap to help the

business, its supply chain and its clients achieve

their sustainability goals through planned

interaction with the cross functional EICC ‘green

team’. Branded to enhance communication

effectiveness, Plan-it green™ conforms to the

strategic direction in place from opening in 1995:

to maintain the principles of the Business Excellence framework (EFQM) through aligning with

existing standards, build on the reputation as a ‘green business’ and develop the company’s

reputation for best practice in sustainability. Sustainability is embedded at EICC and in 2003 the City

of Edinburgh Council owned company was an EFQM award and prize-winner.

Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

Borders Forest Trust Tree Planting

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Hosting international events carries a responsibility to

ensure the best practicable environmental outcome is

secured for the host city and nation. This is especially

true for major International Association and

International Corporate events when the starting

position is often more than 1,000 delegates flying into

Edinburgh and Scotland from around the world. Plan-it

green™ was launched in 2007 as a branded package of

measures designed to turn sustainability advocacy into

action. Customers are encouraged to optimise their

environmental impact and sequestrate any residual

position by offsetting calculated event specific

emissions to a carbon sink of native Scottish woodland.

Staging successful events secures customer delight and is, in part, founded on a continuous

improvement approach from EICC’s cross functional ‘green team’. Competitor analysis suggests

many organisations limit their sustainability approaches to a checklist of architectural features.

However this approach denies the

continuous improvement process that

moves sustainability forward.

The ‘green team’ benefits from the services

of an in-house Total Quality Management

facilitator and includes at least one

representative from each functional

department, including catering, facilities,

technical production and cleaning.

Critically, the ‘green team’ reports to the

Chief Executive Officer and has delegated authority to moderate EICC’s use

of resources.

Frequently their approach is incremental, looking for small changes that pay back over time. In

technical production for example, stage lighting experimentation proved that all profile spots and

70% of fresnels could be down rated from 1,200 watts to 750 watts without loss of production

quality. Green team actions deliver reduced emissions that can be monitised and in an audit process

reveal additional economic impact. EICC’s business partners are integrated in the Plan-it green™

Sustainable Events Programme and their level of engagements is surveyed, periodically, to register

commitment beyond a legal minimum requirement. For all new staff sustainability is a key induction

category.

The Plan-it green™ Sustainable Events Programme is implemented business wide at EICC, supported

by senior management and delivered through the actions of the cross-functional ‘green team’. With

each client’s consent the branded Plan-it green™ process is activated and sustainable events

knowledge transferred from host team to client organisation.

Community Orchard Project

EICC Green Team

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The EICC green team model resembles a wheel in perpetual motion. Defying the laws of physics it

generates its own momentum and for green team members it is a constant reminder that no aspect

of their work is fixed in time. There are eight segments in the outer edge of the wheel that cannot be

broken and it is centred on the client as the focus of all activity.

The Plan-it green™ sustainable events programme was conceived by the green team. As the EFQM

Business Excellence Model is already embedded in the business at EICC the HR/TQM segment of the

wheel is a tested enabler, supported by senior management.

Rotating the wheel clockwise the gestation period of Plan-it green™ is evidenced. Sales and

Marketing launched the brand and communications piece, while the other cross-functional

operational teams: Event Design, Catering, Technical Productions, Front and Back of House are

engaged in the quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are also tracked the bottom line.

Completing a single revolution of the wheel, Finance and Administration ensure that the necessary

measurement processes are in place and benchmarks set.

Critically, the EICC green team model is full inclusive, taking client, staff and contactor contributions

into account.

EICC Self-Propelled Wheel

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Certification is used as a means of benchmarking best practice of EICC’s approach to sustainable

events and the company holds the Gold Award level in the Green Tourism Business Scheme and the

ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. Bespoke research also plays a key role in validating

Plan-it green™ performance.

Delegate survey

A longitudinal study of one annual 1,000-delegate event, in the period 2007 to 2010, reveals that

energy usage is down 75% from 1.42kWh to 0.34 kWh per delegate. Also, despite a doubling of the

catering requirement from 1,100 event covers in 2007 to 2,500 event covers in 2010, kitchen waste

is down over 12% from 1.666 kg to 1.463 kg per delegate in the four years monitor.

Stakeholder survey

The Plan-it green™ sustainable events programme has also been subject to scrutiny from the wider

EICC stakeholder group. A pilot stakeholder survey was conducted in 2005 and it was repeated in

expanded form in 2007. The 2009 survey was focused on sustainable procurement (see chart

below).

This set a new benchmark and involved a sample of 85 key stakeholders: shareholders, industry

partners, service providers, businesses, neighbours, organisations such as the police and ambulance

service and academic institutions.

Seventy-three responses to the self-completion questionnaire were received and analysed. The

study will be repeated in 2011 and the ambition going forward is to update its findings every two

years.

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50

60

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100

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Sustainability Performance

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The scope of the study is wide ranging and produced results such as 97% of respondents were aware

of EICC’s primary objective: to generate an economic benefit for the people of Edinburgh and

Scotland through the staging of successful events. Furthermore, 83% demonstrated knowledge of

EICC’s future expansion plans. Specifically, on the environment 81% reported that commitment to

the environment would influence their choice of event venue.

Supplier survey

A recent survey of suppliers to test commitment to Plan-it green™ has identified strong compliance

across six key variables and identified seven areas for remedial action. The ‘green team” is the key

dynamic in Plan-it green™ and their commitment to continuous improvement and customer

satisfaction is paramount in the overall success of the sustainable events programme.

Employee survey

A recent survey of all EICC staff reported:

93% awareness of ‘green team’ objectives

94% appreciation of successful outcomes

97% support for the view that staff environmental awareness had increased

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Robin Harper MSP with

sustainable catering supplier

The reconvened Scottish Parliament, with its proportional

representation voting system, elected the UK’s first Green

Parliamentarian, Robin Harper MSP in 1999. He was re-elected in 2003

and 2007 before retiring at the general election of 2010.

EICC’s green team perceived that Robin Harper might be an early

adopter of the Plan-it green™ sustainable events philosophy and he

was invited to visit the venue early in his second term. He spent a day

with the green team to understand how a major events venue can

operate with a light environmental footprint.

An early task was to help in the kitchens with the daily fresh produce

delivery. Here he witnessed a green team intervention that requires

fresh produce to be delivered to EICC is reusable containers,

eliminating a significant quantity of cardboard waste.

Subsequently the EICC green team was invited to visit Robin Harper MSP and the Scottish

Parliament’s Head of Procurement Services, Lynn Garvie at the Parliament.

The general feedback from the green team following the visit was that the Green MSP was

impressed by EICC’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He applauded the process

by which targets were shared with contractors and suppliers and results actively monitored. The

Head of Procurement presented the Parliament’s professional purchasing policies including their

economic, ethical and social dimensions and concluded that perhaps the Parliament would benefit

from adopting elements of the EICC green team approach.

EICC Green Team at the Scottish Parliament

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Plan-it green™ contributes to an

optimal economic impact to

Edinburgh through the attraction of

International delegates to Edinburgh.

Lower emissions are achieved through

the propagation of environmentally

sustainable behaviours that in turn

can deliver reduced operating costs.

From a baseline set in 2005:

Total greenhouse gas emissions (direct, indirect and induced) at EICC have reduced by 23%

Total C02 reduction in the same period is down 48% and continues to trend downwards.

Waste disposal costs for the last fiscal show a year-on-year saving of £17,505.00 or 5.8

tonnes per event down to 2.8 tonnes.

Energy costs show a saving of £74,355.00 or 37.98 kWh per delegate day down to 22.69 kWh

for the same period.

The Plan-it green™ guiding philosophy also extends to the design of the new EICC Expansion Space

currently under construction. The building is independently assessed BREEAM Very Good and

Excellent. The impact on the organisation is evidenced in a positive, people, planet, profit bottom

line.

EFQM would like to thank the team at EICC for their willingness to share their Good Practice,

knowledge and experience.

We would specifically like to thank:

Robin Harper, MSP

Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival

Scottish Borders Forest Trust

Website: www.eicc.co.uk

Email: reynaldog@eicc.co.uk

Website: www.efqm.org

Email: info@efqm.org

EICC Expansion Space Project

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EFQM is a membership organisation. We rely on input, ideas and suggestions from you to create a

vibrant community. Without the contributions of our members, the network would not work. These

are some of the ways you can contribute:

We created The EFQM Network for Sustainable Excellence to facilitate a dialogue between our

peers and the wider community. The group is open to anyone with an interest in this area. Over

1800 individuals have already joined our group and shared their experiences. If you’ve got a

question, it’s a great place to start.

Organisations can join the EFQM member community and enjoy some exclusive benefits such as

access to free assessment and improvement tools, participation to events, themed webinars and

good practice visits. To learn more about our member community, feel free to contact us or to join

one of the free introduction meetings at our offices in Brussels.

As a member of EFQM, you will enjoy the following exclusive benefits:

Expert advice and support for your organisation’s journey towards excellence.

Access to the EFQM Knowledge Base is a database containing a number of free to download

assessment, management and improvement tools; as well as Good Practices identified from

the last 3 years of the EFQM Excellence Awards.

Members receive a discount of 20% on EFQM Products & Services, including Training,

Publications and Recognition.

There are themed events and webinars throughout the year, with Good Practices and new

tools being shared and explained by EFQM and member organisations.

For more information, please e-mail info@efqm.org

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Avenue des Olympiades 2 5th Floor B-1140 Brussels – Belgium Tel : +32 2 775 3511 Fax : +32 2 775 3535 Email : info@efqm.org http://www.efqm.org